The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-16
PICKETITS MEN REPULSED
WHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WILL
NOT VISIT GETTYSBURG.
A Grand Reunion Abandoned - The
Monument to Southern Soldiers De-

been announced that the contemplated re-
union of Pickett's men at Gettysburg in
July next has been abandoned and that no
Confederate monument to the memory of
Pickett's men would be erected at Gettys-
burg
''There is deep modification felt by all ex-
Confederates since the return of the Pickett
Committee from Gettysburg" said an old
soldier
"On what accountg
can account of the rebuff the committee
received from the Gettysburg Battlefield
Memorial Association.
YES said Union veteran, who was
standing by; land there will be deep indig-
nation among all Northern soldiers when
they come to know the facts.n
What was the matter9
Nothing but the miserable prejudices of
the Battlefield Memorial Association, or the
preiudiceS of those by whom it is con-
trolled, replied the Union veteran.
The public is already familiar with the de-
tails heretofore arranged for the reunion of
Pickett's men and Hancock's men at Gettys-
burg in July next. 1t was to have been one
of the grand events of 1887, and the old
soldiers ON both sides had their hearts in it
OBJECT OF THE VISIT.
Pickett's men had determined to take along
with them a monument to be placed upon
the furthest spot reached by them in the
famous charge in July, 1863 in memory of
their brave comrades who fell there The
Secretary of the Gettysburg Battlefield Ne
mortal Association was informed of their
plans and was asked for the rules and regu-
lations by which they were to be governed.
These were promptly furnished. They re-
quired the assent of the association before
E1 %t..iV.
grounds; that all inscriptions must be sub
nlittcd to the association for approval, but
they nowhere contained any intim2tion that
Confederate monuments were excluded.
From this time forward letters began to
flow in to the Pickett Association from
Northern soldiers, especially from those who
had defended the lines charged by Pickett,
expressing the heartieSt cooperation in the
reunion and insisting that the monument
should be placed among their own and on
the extreme spot Piokett's men had reached.
\ gallant captain of a Newark battery who
defended the famous angle on July wrote:
1--WE want you of Picketts command to
put your monument at the highest point to
which your valor carried your lines on that
eventful day.
This is a sample of the many pressing in
vitations in regard to the position of the
monument. Several letters in this happy
vein were received from the Philadelphia
brigade, who Immediately defended the
lines pierced by Picketts men. They
seemed anxious to mark the extreme spot
by Confederate monument, as well as TO
illustrate their own as the Confederate
valOr. Gov. Beaver, OF Pennsylvania, had
kindly agreed to provide tents for the &C
commodation of the visitors, and to 90 all
in his power to make the occasion pleasant
one.
THE MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS.
The Pickett Committee on the monument,
suppoSing there was no obstacle, adopted
handsome and imposing design. 1t was to
be constructed of Virginia granite. The
inscription was selected after the careful
| consideration of every word The object
was to express, on the part of Pickett'S sur
vivors, their admiration and commentator
|, of their dead comrades, while at the same
time strictly avoiding anything that might
give offense to their former opponents.
Patriotism, valor and foTtitude were named
as qualities of the dead soldiers There
could possibly be no objection to them,
thought the committee, and some of the
Union veterans here who saw them. The
inscription also contained the following
lines, found in Gen. Il. Il. Lees army satchel
on his return from Appomattox Court
House, written in pencil on a slip of paper
in the Generals handwriting:
Glorious is his fate and envied is his lot
Who for his country fights end for it dies.
1t was proposed to place these lines on one
of the faces of the base of the monument
On another face it was stated that the
monument was erected by the survivors of
Picketts division in memory and in admira-
ton of their comrades who fell in the SPLEEN
did charge. and upon the spot they reached
| after penetrating the Federal lines.
The whole inscription was submitted to
| the Gettysburg Memorial Association for
approval. There it rested and some weeks
elapsed.
A SETBACK
The work on the monument was begun
| At length a very kind and friendly letter
was received from Philadelphia, mildly say
ing that parts of the inscription would be
| objected to, and referring especially to the
couplet of Gen. Lee.
Then came letter from the Secretary of
the Gettysburg Memorial Association, ask
| ing that committee be sent there to confer
| concerning the monument, and saying that
| it had been found necessary to ''avoid con-
| fusion, to adopt as a general rule that no
| Confederate monument should be placed
| within the Federal lines.n
The committee went to Gettysburg, where
they were received with an extra supply of
courtesy, and every possible attention was
paid them by the officers of the memorial
association. They were taken over the his
| toric field, and the reasons were explained to
them for excluding the Pickett monument
| from the location for which it was designed
and intended The officers of the asSocia-
ton, however, hoped that the monument
/ might be brought and placed upon the spot
! from which the gallant and brave men of
/ Picketts division set out ON the charge.
The committee was informed that the in
scrption had not been passed upon officially,
| but it was privately intimated that it was
| Objectionable and would not be allowed
especially the Lee lines" and the word
Patriotism"
The officers of the association regretted ex-
! ceedingly that they were constrained to
make these objections. There was quite an
excess of politencSs.
The Pickett committee were pleased with
their visit. The members of it recognized
the right of the owners of the property to
| make their own rules. They made no re-
Spouse to the objections nor did they ask
or desire that they should be waived in con-
sideration of them. They thought great
deal, however, and We're evidently hurt at
the unfortunate result of their mission.
They think it n great mistake to exclude a
Confederate monument, for its presence
would certainly add great interest to the
spot, and there is perhaps, no other organi-
zation but Pickett'S men who would care to
put monument on a spot % mark a repulse
gettysburg is too sad field 70 attract many
Southerners
BACK IN RICHMoND.
T2nt,,tY,ipr, 20 II, h.